Rick Mayer
Digital ProducerI’m the online producer for Health News Florida, a collaboration of public radio stations and NPR that delivers news about health care issues.
This is an important position at WUSF. In 2019, the typical U.S. family spent about 11 percent of its annual income on health care, so it stands to reason issues of cost, quality, access and innovation are consequential to all Floridians. Then COVID-19 came along, and the weight of these matters gained exponentially. I take our reporting on these topics quite seriously, as I’m sure you do, too.
Literally growing up in newsrooms and a little serendipity along the way prepared me well for the post. Here’s the abridged version: I’m a Tampa guy, graduating from H.B. Plant High and thrust into the world with my USF degree rolled tightly in hand. From there, it was three mostly sleepless decades as an editor at The Tampa Tribune, then developing and managing an online journal serving physician executives. There’s also my side job editing a statewide health magazine.
And being married to a longtime hospital nurse/case manager helps; dinner conversation often gives me a feel of what’s happening on the front lines. The good and not-so-good.
Of course, my time isn’t always spent flailing in the health news vortex. You’re actually more likely to find me breaking down the Bucs, Bulls or Bolts after a game, taking Oodle the poodle to the dog park or tinkering the backroom piano while vicariously reliving my former life as a musician. (Remember, kids: Parents of percussionists have plenty of patience. Plenty!)
Contact Rick on X @rmayer2361 or by email at Mayer1@wusf.org.
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At an introductory news conference, Patrick Zalupski and top executives Ken Babby and Bill Cosgrove said there is a sense of urgency to get a ballpark built as part of a revenue-generating, mixed-use development. -
Despite strong regional showings in the annual Best Children's Hospital's rankings, no Florida hospital has yet to crack the top 10 nationally in any of 11 pediatric specialties or the national Honor Roll. -
The Morsani School of Medicine was the only one with a perfect score in the inaugural analysis by the Center for Accountability in Medicine, which based rankings on academics, transparency and rejection of DEI. -
A nurse practitioner contracted to work in Tampa General Hospital's Brandon Healthplex emergency department was found negligent after a patient was misdiagnosed and later became permanently disabled. -
The new deal, reached as the previous one expired, resolves contract uncertainty and protects most customers from higher out-of-network costs. -
Patrick Zalupski closed on the reported $1.7 billion purchase from Stuart Sternberg. And the first order of business for the new owner: Finding a place for his team to play. -
The Florida Department of Transportation is advising drivers to expect delays and congestion from 12:01 a.m. Saturday to 5 a.m. Monday. -
With a sale of the team imminent, outgoing owner Stuart Sternberg says selling was hard but the right move for the Tampa Bay area: "My time had come." -
La Junta de Farmacia citó una ley estatal que permite a los farmacéuticos administrar vacunas aprobadas por la FDA (Administración de Alimentos y Medicamentos). Publix y Walgreens declararon que ofrecerían la vacuna sin necesidad de receta médica a las personas que cumplan los requisitos. -
This year’s grants will prioritize studies on nutrition’s role in cancer prevention and treatment, along with other high-impact projects.
